Phil's Front Page Comment 23rd July 2008
Halee Reid has
expanded our region guide section and put the royal resort of Hua
Hin under the microscope. How are the pickings for those who fancy
teaching English in Thailand but not in the big city? Click
here for Halee's report. I've
also added some comments of my own. If you live in a town or
city outside Bangkok, take a look at the region guide list
here and if you are
teaching English in Thailand and your place is not included perhaps
you'd like to do a write-up and answer the region guide questions.
Alternatively if your town or city is mentioned, perhaps there's
something you could update?
more!
Dave's Journey
Dave's life teaching
English in Thailand is getting interesting. In the latest chapter of events,
he was asked to prepare a student for a public speaking contest in the North
of Thailand. When the student romped home in first place, attempts were made
to poach our Dave away from the school he loves. Yes, Dave has suddenly
become hot property!
If
not Thailand then where......?
With a few teachers apparently leaving Thailand because of
the new teachers licensing requirements (among other things) perhaps
it's time to catch up with a few of you who've headed on to pastures
new. Your answers to the eight questions please. Doc McCoy has
kicked us off again with a report on life in China and how
it compares to Thailand.
The new look 'Ask
us a Question' section
Teaching English in
Thailand? Is there part-time
work available? What's the best way to get started? Where can I work
once I have the work permit book? Which visa is the best one to get?
Should I fix up a job before I arrive? Is it possible to approach
schools directly? What should female teachers wear in the classroom?
Do couples make good teaching colleagues? And lots, lots more
Jason
Alavi - Straight Talking
Jason
received well over 600 e-mails in response to his first article
about the teacher licensing changes. Many of them from
well-established teachers offering a different spin on things. In
his July column, Jason has firstly corrected a few misinterpretations from that first
article and has also found out plenty of new information including a
resignation and a new appointment.
Ajarn World
The Bangkok Mouth
says there's nothing like an expensive trip back to England to make
you appreciate why you live in Thailand.
Julia's Journey
Julia gives
us a brief rundown of her experience on the Thai cultural course. It
includes looking at wooden carts, appreciating the joys of tug-o-war
and learning that the traditional handshake is not all it seems.
An
Indian Teacher in Thailand
More from Bobo Meitei as he faces the perils and pitfalls of finding
a teaching job in Thailand. In this latest article for ajarn.com,
Bobo gets to grips with sliding pay scales and agents bemused by his
pseudu-American appearance. Well worth a read!
Dance For Me
-
Notes from a Thai Cultural Course
If you
haven't already read it, our very own Tazza has an excellent blog with a detailed account of
his being 'forced' to attend the Thai cultural course. Sadly it
reads like an attempt to simply humiliate foreign teachers. Read it
and you'll see what I mean. It's all in Tazza's monthly column for
July.
The
Ajarn Monthly Writers - July 2008
In our monthly columns for July,
Steve Schertzer is back
with a moving and personal account of how family problems on the
other side of the world have set off a seemingly insurmountable
chain of events. Matt Smith
tackles the issue of privately owned media companies and wonders how
they can ever call themselves 'promoters of education'.
Phil Roeland shakes
his head at the way Thai students prepare for tests like the TOEFL
and the IELTS. For
the full index of ajarn writer contributions,
click here.
Teachers License rules for 2009
With the
help of one of Bangkok's top recruiters and a contact or two at the
MOE, these are the new regulations that will possibly come into
force at the beginning of the next academic year. Which category do
you fall into? If you're coming to teach English in Thailand then
you might want to read it and see. We've also updated the issue with
a short article by Jason Alavi on whether the new regulations will
apply for existing teachers licence holders as well as new teachers.
